Tag Archive for Greeks

Understanding the enemy mind: Chanukah

March 3, 2016 Uncategorized No comments
This article was constructed with the help of either writings, lectures or shiurim of Rabbi’s Yissachar Frand, Akiva Grunblatt-Rosh Yeshiva Chaffetz Chaim,  Pinchas Winston, Asher Hurzberg, Yitzchak Ginsberg and Dr. Abba Goldman

 
If only Jews, over the course of history, would embrace their culture like they have done with others, they would have been unstoppable. However, they often pledge allegiance to the flag of blah- blah- blah and as a result abandon their own culture leading many of our own to relinquish, their religion. Then, what follows is big time trouble…….It seems like we never learn our lesson.
 The Greeks laid out a not yet Chanukah present:
* The Greeks decreed that they would eradicate: 1) Shabbat, 2) Brit Mila, and 3) Rosh Chodesh from the Jewish faith.
* I can understand Brit Milah and Shabbat, the pillars of Jewish faith, but how did Rosh Chodesh make the top three lists. The Greeks were an intelligent society, a super power and if they choose their battles and strategy a certain way, one can bet their bottom dollar that they knew what they were doing.  Why then, did they believe that Rosh Chodesh was essential in destroying the spirit of the Jews?
*We are judged on every Rosh Chodesh; it’s similar to Rosh Hashana; it’s a renewal. In the recitation of the Ya’aleh V’yavo which is said on Rosh Chodesh there are similar references like we recite in our Rosh Hashana prayers to Zachor- remember, which a primary component in our pursuit for forgiveness is.
*Did you know the Bnei Yissaschar comments that Chanukah is unique among the Jewish holidays in that it is the only holiday that spans two months (Kislev and Tevet). This means that Chanukah always contains a ‘Rosh Chodesh’ [First day of the Month] within it. Why is that?
We always try to find some similarities to the weekly parsha. Strangely? We discovered in this week’s parsha – Miketz something very unique. The Parsha ends but the story doesn’t. It is the only time where one parsha doesn’t finish its story line. A real cliffhanger!! We have to wait till next week to find out what happened to Yosef and his brothers. Tune in next week same bat time, same bat channel. Why the only cliffhanger in the Torah?
Firstly, let’s understand the significance of the candle lighting ceremony.
 The lights of Chanukah are essential for it represents us.  Candle lights are very spiritual. The soul derives joy from the candle’s light, whether dead or alive. As the verse states, “The light of the righteous will rejoice.” How come? The soul is made up of divine light, and it is natural to delight in something that is of a similar makeup. This is the case even though the candle generates mere physical light, whereas the soul’s light is spiritual. For this reason there are special segulot where if one looks at the candles after the brachot they will merit tremendous blessings.
We have said that Chanukah is unique in having a Rosh Chodesh in between. Interestingly, Rosh Chodesh occurs when the moon is not seen; however, we know it’s there. On a similar vein – a Neshama-soul is never distinguished as well. Even though we don’t see it, it only needs to be rekindled for the soul is eternal.  Rosh Chodesh implies renewal (of the moon and of the month). This is the theme of Chanukah — the renewal of the spirit of the Jews.
The Jewish people are compared to the moon — sometimes their fate seems to darken and fade away but we are always confident that it will be renewed in the future. This too is a pattern that sometimes reflects our relationship with the Almighty. There are ups and downs. There are peaks and valleys. It waxes and it wanes. Rosh Chodesh demonstrates that there can be renewal. There can be a new moon. The moon returns. It can get bigger.
This is why Chanukah is connected with Rosh Chodesh. The whole theme of Chanukah is that the Jewish people’s relationship with G-d slackened; but then they came back and the relationship was fully renewed its previous level.
“By seeking to annul the observance of Rosh Chodesh, the Greeks sought to deprive the Jewish people of one of their greatest strengths – the ability to master time by determining the order of the Jewish calendar. The Jewish people, through the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Court, enjoyed the unique prerogative of proclaiming the new moon and, consequently, the timing of all the festivals. It was this unique ability to master time that the Greeks sought to deny us.
When we bless the new moon, we are transforming a natural occurrence into something much more powerful. We are creating Kedusha, Holiness, in this material world, to create light from darkness. This was something the Greeks could never accept.
 The ramifications of the Greek attempt to destroy Rosh Chodesh would have had a devastating effect on both the spiritual world as well as the everyday mundane life of not just of Jews, but in fact all of  Humanity.
How? One may ask?
 Chanukah always falls out on either our parsha Miketz or last week Vayeshev; sometimes it falls on both.
 We open the parsha where Yosef has been in prison for two years since interpreting the SAR HAMASHKIM- head butler’s dream. Yosef said to the butler after being right on the money in successfully interpreting his dream, “please don’t forget to use your connections in getting me out”. Perhaps, the butler forgot about him or it just wasn’t time. In any case Yosef withered away in jail an additional twenty four months. G-d is in charge of the time clock and when “He is good and ready”, then, it will take place.  Sometimes, we forget.
Anyone who tries to push off the moment will be pushed off by the moment. Anyone who is pushed off because of the moment, the moment will be pushed off for him. (Brochos 64a)
On an everyday level, this means don’t try to bring about desired results prematurely. As the Mishnah says:
Do not be contemptuous of any person, and don’t remove yourself from anything, for every person has his moment and everything has its place. (Pirkei Avos 4:2) which of course is rarely known to us in advance. Hence, it also says:
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is G-d’s plan that prevails (Mishlei19:21). Patience is definitely a virtue, perhaps the most important one of all. It is amazing how far a little patience or impatience can go to change a moment, a life, lives, or even history. Usually, people are impatient when the moment calls for patience, but sometimes people can be too patient when the moment calls for a little impatience in order to put an early end to what eventually may become a disastrous situation. Everything is timing; even a joke has to be told at the right moment. The punch has to be delivered correctly or there’ll be a dead silence, every comedian’s nightmare.
A Rabbi took over a pulpit position in one of the New York’ communities. One of his congregants kept his store open on Shabbat. The Rabbi approached him and tried to reason that he should close up the shop arguing that there is no bracha -blessing from proceeds obtained on Shabbat. The congregant complained “it’s my busiest day”. After a few months, the Rabbi convinced the congregant that the bracha will come through the other days of the week. Finally, the congregant acquiesced. “Have Faith!!” the Rabbi smiled and said. Months passed by, and on every Friday the congregant would call and complain to the Rabbi that “I’m losing money!! I shouldn’t have listened to you”. Until, one day, the congregant approached the Rabbi and said “you know Rabbi; I received a huge order that made up for all those closed Saturdays”. The Rabbi said to the congregant “you see – it pays to have faith”. The congregant replied with an uncomfortable sigh of relief “yes, yes, G-d is great, however, He’s not very punctual”.
One has to ask: who owns time?
There is a fascinating incident about the famous commentator on the Chumash, the Abarbanel. He was one of the biggest Rabbis of his time. He was also, surprisingly, the finance minister of one of the super power countries of the time, Spain.
 We pray during the high holy days that “All of Israel is judged”. The question is asked, why the verse has to say “all of”. The verse would have been sufficient with “Israel is judged”. The Sages say that it’s coming to add the people who are deceased. How can that be – they have not done any mitzvoth? Once one passes away, he’s done!!
In the late 1400s, the Spanish Inquisition went into effect and the Jews were given the choice: leave, convert or die. Don Yitzchok Abarbanel packed his bags and left.
 In his introduction to one of his books which he wrote later in his life, he says that he regrets ever taking public office. He felt that he could have spent his time learning and teaching Torah. “The reason I stayed in office was to pass legislation to make Jews comfortable while learning Torah and even that didn’t happen”. Well, his wish indeed did happen! It happened 500 years later, though. Abarbanel was the finance minister who was responsible for financing Christopher Columbus’s voyage to America. Apparently, Columbus could not get any financial support from Italy, however, Abarbanel and Spain believed in his cause. The Jews and Torah prospered in the United States. Every time a Jew opens up an Artscroll Gemara in Central Park, Abarbanel gets his percentage of the learning 500 years later! Perhaps, G-d’s not punctual….better late than never!
The sin of the Golden Calf is a sin of a lack of patience. The Jewish People were waiting for Moshe to descend from Mt. Sinai and they thought that his descent had been delayed, “And the people saw that Moshe was late in descending from the mountain and the people crowded around Aaron and said to him, ‘Rise and make a god for us.'” It certainly wasn’t easy to wait for so long. Immediately after the revelation at Mt. Sinai, Moshe ascended the mountain, entered the fog where G-d was, and left us down below in tense expectation. Another day and another day went by, forty days had already passed, and our patience snapped. How much longer could we wait? Even the sages stated (as Rashi quotes) that before his ascent Moshe had told them that he would not return for another forty days. Yet, forty days had already passed and there was no sign of life from Moshe. What would be?
Apparently, G-d wanted to put us to the test of patience.
This was not the first time that a lack of patience had led to tragedy; neither would it be the last. In fact, historical tragedies as a whole seem to be the result of impulsiveness, and if people would just wait a little longer, everything would look completely different.
The first sin in the history of mankind stemmed from a lack of patience. If Adam and Eve had just waited a few more hours, until sunset on Friday evening, and the beginning of the first Shabbat, they would have been permitted to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. But, it isn’t easy to wait; such a succulent fruit that looks so tempting just asks us to eat it right away; especially when the snake nags us that “nothing will happen.”
Even King David was no exception. The sages state, “Bathsheva was predestined for David, but he ate her unripe [i.e., he took her prematurely].” Instead of waiting patiently for her to be ready for him, like a sweet ripe fruit, he snatched and “ate” her like an unripe fruit and the bitter results speak for themselves.
The Jewish people had a tombustial relationship with The Master of The Universe to say the least. Just in the dessert alone we read parsha after parsha how G-d is angry- Moshe pleads and begs for the Lord to forgive and the cycle begins again.  Unfortunately, we -humans are not perfect and the seesaw relationship is all too common.
 The Jewish people are compared to the moon — sometimes their fate seems to darken and fade away but we are always confident that it will be renewed in the future. This too is a pattern that sometimes reflects our relationship with the Almighty. There are ups and downs. There are peaks and valleys. It waxes and it wanes. Rosh Chodesh demonstrates that there can be renewal. There can be a new moon. The moon returns. It can get bigger.
This is why Chanukah is connected with Rosh Chodesh. The whole theme of Chanukah is that the Jewish people’s relationship with G-d slackened; but then they came back and the relationship was fully renewed its previous level.  Just like the moon will reappear again, G-d will also shower us with happiness and joy. Nevertheless, that time will come when we hang on to our hats and have patience.
The Hebrew word for patience is “savlanut”, which also means “tolerance.” The same root gives rise to words that means “suffer” (sevel) and “burdens” (sivlot). We learn from this that patience is not a necessarily a pleasant experience. We should expect patience to be the hard work; we usually find it to be. That may mean enduring and tolerating, and the experience may even mean bearing a burden.
 If we were dividing up the parshiyos, we would probably not end the parsha in the middle of a story. What is this — a series? “To find out what happened to Binyamin…” Miketz leaves us sitting on the edge of our seats, waiting in anticipation to know the end of the story. Why doesn’t the Torah tell us what happens?
 The answer is that the Torah is teaching us a very important lesson. There are sometimes in life we need to ‘wait until next week’. Sometimes we need to wait until next week and sometimes we need to wait until next year and sometimes we need to wait until the next life. Things do not always become abundantly clear, certainly not instantaneously. That is what this lesson is about. That is why the climax of the story of Yosef and his brothers does not end in Parshas Miketz as it logically should.
 The Torah is sending us a message regarding how to deal with these types of troubles. The answer is that sometimes we have to wait to see how things will resolve

Jewish monarchy

February 11, 2016 Uncategorized No comments

 

This article was constructed with the help of either writings, lectures or shiurim of Rabbi’s  Baruch Dopelt, Yossi Bilius, Pinchas Winston, Asher Hurzberg and Dr. Abba Goldman

In our illustrious glorious past we’ve often yearned for the mashiach.  When we were in grade school we had to recite that “we believe whole heartedly that Mashiach is coming”. Mashiach this and Mashiach that. There have been many songs sung, manypsalms read, There even was a period where many of our people were killed for they thought that time had come and were careless, where they’re usually very careful,  in dealing with  gentiles arousing their  hostility and Anti-Semitism only to be disappointed with a false prophet.
 How ironic it is then, the proud Jews that we are, with our glorious past, the beautiful temple both past and future, that the Mashiach signs in through an undignified manor. We would never write a Hollywood script like this. Here, there is no poor or rich young couple who loves each other, have a baby (Mashiach), is allergic to kryptonite, and can’t keep him etc. It’s quite different script. One cannot complain “this movie is predictable -same formula”.
 Let us take a look at the relevant places in the Torah and perhaps, dig deep, learn some insights into the mashiach
This is where the Jewish monarch and the  Mashiach comes from……..
         Uncharacistaly, Yehuda, leader of the tribes visits  a prostitute, who is his daughter-in law in disguise. The Sages, say that the cohabitation of Yehuda, Tamar, his daughter in law, resulted in the inception of the Mashiach……Go Figure!! (Please see highlight section for full synopsis)
  One may ask, how can the Mashiach come in such a degrading way?
Wait there is more!
        *The seed of the Mashiach was also implanted in a bazar way by Lott,  Avrahams nephew, After the destruction of Sedom, Lott’s two surviving daughters believed that the world was destroyed. They devised a plan to seduce their father on back to back consecutive nights after getting him drunk where they will procreate and populate the world once again. Ruth, is a descendant of this union The oldest son/grandchild Moav is where Ruth, the grandmother of king David, comes from.
        * Boaz, a widower,  a leader and descendant  of the tribe of Yehudah marries Ruth, the convert, a widow herself to the childless son of Elimelech, a descendant of Yehuda as well.  The courtship was strange, Ruth appear that night on the threshing floor  to be as close as possible to the fields at a critical time in the harvest. Niomi, her mother in law, instructs Ruth to uncover Boaz’s feet so as to wake him and set the process of “yibum” in motion. Pretty odd isn’t it. The union between Boaz and Ruth was in question for A Israelite is forbidden to marry from Moav. Boaz died the next morning after their wedding night and Ruth gave up her child to Niomi to raise.
         *King David marries Bat-Sheva in one of the most controversial union in our history. Did he usher Bat Sheva’s husband to the battlefield in what was presumably a death wish? The marriage between David and Bat-Sheva produced King Shlomo
This is our royal past?
 In our current mindset or Western mentality we, perhaps, will entertain the thought of the Mashiach having that kind of introduction for  we have grown accustom to a very promiscuous nature. The media has etched in our minds the kind of sexual provocation daily. Car commercials, game shows and even real estate ads come with a door prize and a smiley attractive female or male model. Television, no matter how PG it is full of sexual innuendos. Let’s not forget the advancement of the internet….GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!
 Furthermore, as we Jews moved around the world we are constantly reminded through our neighbors about their immodest appetite way of life. We were the only Jews living on the block, in my childhood home in Rego Park. It was a predominantly Irish neighborhood and it was difficult to stay focused even as a very young Yeshiva grade school student with the immodest dress of my non-Jewish neighbors. What’s an orthodox boy doing living in this part of the world?
Interestingly, if one notices our biggest test growing up before entering our young adult, where then we are introduced to inflated egos, pursuit of money, keeping religion, is to watch our brit. There is a tremendous insurgence or wave of desire where hormones are flying uncontrollably when entering the teenage years.
This is our mundane life of today where the western culture has a tremendous influence. However, why has the Torah have to introduce the Jewish monarch and future Mashiash in a degrading way. Golden Yerushalayim and its purity should be left alone. Why drag it to such shmutz?
Furthermore, why is the topic of Erva-  promiscuity associated with the kingdom. Why not murder? Jealousy?
Lets examine an aspect of brit milah where then perhaps we might understand the topic of mashiach a little more clearer.
  Adam HaRishon was created circumcised, as it says, “God created man in His image …” (Bereishis 2:5). Avot d’Rav Nossan 2:5
Rav Yitzchak said, [Adam] caused his foreskin to be extended [and cover his circumcision]. Sanhedrin 38b
Interestingly, this is what the Greek Jews were a custom to do in the time of Chanukah. They were ashamed that they were different then the Goyim. The sexual revolution was influencing the world….sounds familiar. It was custom to remove your cloths entirely in many social functions. The Greeks believed in exposing the beautiful body. However the Jews, because of their brit had a different look, were ashamed.
The Greeks put a spiritual barrier between the Jews and their G-d. In Hebrew the growth of foreskin is called  Orlah. This was the  mistake of Adam. For, whether we are talking about “Orlat HaLeiv” (uncircumcised heart), “Orel S’fataim “(uncircumcised lips), or “Orlah” from a tree (fruits of the third year), the word Orlah always implies a spiritual “barrier” between man and God which has to be removed.
There are two aspects of the mitzvah referred to in the verse. Firstly, Milah is a sign of the covenant between Avraham and God; secondly, Milah is to take place on the eighth day from birth. We should take note of the point in the Parsha at which the Mitzvah is commanded after Avraham’s successful routing of the Canaanite kings. It’s no coincident that saving Lott, his nephew, who holds the seed for part of the Mashiach, is a precursor for brit milah.
 When Avraham  placed his faith in G-d for his physical sustenance, he demonstrated his unwavering commitment to live above nature. As a result, he was provided with the means to remove all the Orlos Adam’s mistake had brought to mankind. This is the Bris Milah which is performed on the eighth day (eight always symbolizes the spiritual, supernatural realm, as we see through Chanukah as well).
Why was Bris Milah so important to history? As the following reveals, it is the source of Malchut (of kingship), and therefore, the Final Redemption.
And Yosef said to his brothers, ” ‘Please come near to me,’ and they came near to him and he said . . .” (Bereishis 45:4). Why did he call them if they were already next to him? Because when he told them, “I am Yosef your brother” (Ibid.), they were in shock to see his royal position. He told them that his royalty was a direct result of this. (Zohar 1:93b)
What was Yosef referring to? The Zohar explains:
” ‘Please come near to me,’ and they came near to him”: He showed them that he upheld Bris Milah, saying, “By keeping this intact, I was able to attain royal status.” From here we learn that whomever keeps this sign intact will merit royalty. (Ibid.)
In other words, Yosef was saying that his royal status had been conferred upon him by Heaven for having resisted the advances of his master’s wife, Aishet Potiphar. Such intimacy would have been forbidden to him, and though he had been tempted at the time, in the end he had overcome his yetzer hara and had run out of the house, risking her vicious retribution that followed.
However, the Zohar is not finished yet, and backs up its statement with the following:
From where else do we know this? From Boaz, as it says, “As Hashem lives, lie down until the morning” (Rus3:13). His evil inclination was enticing him, so he made this oath to keep his bris intact. (Ibid.)
In other words, while he was secluded with Ruth, he desired her then. However, intimacy with her then was improper, and therefore he made the oath to safeguard himself against a sinful relationship. If she was to be his wife, Boaz reasoned with himself, it had to be after all the halachic conditions had been satisfied. Thus the Zohar concludes:
The world is called an OLAM. Interestingly OLAM means hidden. What is hidden? G-d is hidden and he is hidden throughout the world. Interestingly the more we do G-d’s commandments the more vision and clear the world looks.
This OLAM is like a game. A game similar to “Wheel of Fortune”, where one has to turn over the puzzle board and therefore making the entire board clearer. The board is pretty large it encompasses the entire world.   The mission of the Jewish people over the last 3,300 years, the Jewish role in history and the essence of the concept of the Chosen People – a people chosen for the responsibility of teaching the world about one God and absolute morality. But there is much left to do before the vision the Jewish people saw at Mount Sinai becomes a world reality. The Jews have always believed that they have a key role to play in bringing this vision to fruition. We are to create a society based on a God-given standard of morality that will serve as the model for the rest of humanity to emulate – to be “a light unto the nations.”
When we look back on the vast sweep of the last four thousand years we see how significantly the Jewish people have directly and indirectly affected humanity.
The Jewish monarch represents the Jewish people. He rules with justice and mercy. It’s his mission to guide and to turn over the most impure  part of life and manifest it to a source of kedusha. G-d chose the very organ that is the source of life, which can also be chosen to use for the basest acts, as the site to be sanctified with circumcision. This gives us the profound message that we can use every physical drive for holy purposes.
 Chanukah always falls out during this time of the year where days are short and nights are at its longest. It is our mission to light the candles, to bring light in to the darkness, to see things more clear, to flip the puzzle board, to transform an illicit moment to the spiritual.
Interestingly the menorah is lit by Jews in public showcase all over the world….may we, the chosen people continue to make this world more clear.

The Pleasures of Chanukah

January 28, 2014 Chanuka, G-d and Us, Happiness, Holidays No comments

There’s an interesting story told by Rabbi Isaac Olbaum at one of his lectures about Rav Levi Bardichiva that teaches an important lesson about the pleasures of Chanukah in which we’re in the midst of celebrating:

 

Rav Levi Bardichiva once walked into a room where his friends convened. He found it quite odd that they stopped their conversation so abruptly as if they were hiding something from him. After he pressed the issue, they confessed that they were embarrassed at the topic of conversation and felt he would think they were wasting valuable time that could be spent learning Torah. The friend mentioned how they marveled and were so impressed with the exquisite mansion of Count Potosky.

 

 

Count Potosky was a very rich man who had a son who was executed by the non-Jews because he converted to Judaism. The gentiles gave Potosky’s son an ultimatum: either convert back or be executed. He said ‘I’m staying a Jew’. Soon after, young Potovsky was hung and then burned, and many years later, a tree grew from his ashes. Till this day, people would point to that tree and tell you the story of Potosky.

 

 

Apparently, the friends of Rav Levi were admiring how rich he was and how he would indulge in all kind of pleasures. Rav Levi responded, ‘Did Potosky light the candles of Chanukah?’ Obviously he didn’t; but if he did, Rav Levi seems to imply, that would be the most pleasurable moment he would have experienced.

 

 

What is so special about lighting Chanukah candles?

 

 

The Rambam (Maimonides) who, besides being an authority on medicine, was a tremendous halachic figure (expert on Jewish law), is quoted as saying, ‘The sages enacted these eight days as eight days of happiness and praise (Hallel). What constitutes happiness? Happiness is interpreted as having meat and wine. Apparently, this is what gives pleasure to the body and soul. Every time there is a reference to ‘happy’, a meal is required. After a delicious meal then he’s able to sing praise (Hallel).

 

 

However, we know a meal is not required on Chanukah. Do you mean to tell me that lighting the candles is a substitute pleasure for the meal? How so?

 

 

Chanukah is often compared to the holiday of Purim; but why is a meal required for that holiday and not this one?

 

 

In the story of Chanukah, the Greeks didn’t want to kill us; they wanted to embrace us. Their goal was to destroy us spiritually (no Shabbat, no brit milah, etc). Purim, the wicked Haman wanted to destroy us physically. Therefore, we counter back by using our physicality and getting a pleasurable experience with a lavish meal. We use the physicality as a gratitude to G-d. On Chanukah, though, we use the spirituality as gratitude.

 

 

‘Everything is from the heavens except fearing G-d’. Although one has to make an effort, for the most part, we have a hard time controlling our lives whether it is making money, marriage, kids, and death. Many aspects of life are determined by the heavens with the exception of spirituality, which is determined by you. It’s our choice whether to keep Shabbat, keep kosher, and be nice to people. It’s in our hands, we’re in control.

 

 

So what are the pleasures of Chanukah? We”ll get a better picture from a little glimpse of history. Achav was the wicked king of Israel (kingdom was split Israel and Judea). The Gemarah says he has no share in the world to come. At the time, Aram, the neighboring country who was superior in might, was at a state of war with the Israelites. Aram sent a team to Achav with their demands of surrender. These demands included the Israelites to give up their possessions, wives, and children. Achav was listening and agreeing to the surrender demands. Then they said ‘give up your object of desire, your Sefer Torah.’ ‘Absolutely not!!’ he said, ‘we’ll go to war with you first!!’ he answered back. The Israelites went to war with Aram and won.

 

 

Achav, whose reputation as a rasha is unprecedented, violated everything in the book. Why all of a sudden did he say no? What does he care about a Sefer Torah? We see how a Jew can be so complex in his behavior. Every Jew has a certain Jewish pride, a deep down caring about his religion, about his people. When push comes to shove, a secular Jew will bang on the table and declare ‘I’ll show you what it means to be Jewish’. Perhaps this is the reason we are required to light the menorah by the window so that the whole world can see what miracles G-d did for his chosen people. We show the world, but for the most part, it is for us to feel good about ourselves. We light the menorah with pride like the Maccabees lit after they miraculously defeated the mighty Greek army. The pride in doing so should bring out a tremendous pleasure.